President Sang stressed determination for TPP negotiations
President Truong Tan Sang and
other leaders of the countries involved in the Trans-Pacific
Partnership (TPP) agreed to settle remaining issues in order to complete
negotiations within the year in a bid to reach a comprehensive and
balanced deal.
The agreement was made at the end of
their meeting on October 8 following a separate round of the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum on the Indonesia island of Bali.
Speaking at the meeting, President Sang called on TPP
negotiating countries to take into account their different levels of
economic development while offering technical support and improving
capacity to realise commitments.
Leaders of TPP
members adopted a statement and a report by their trade ministers,
saying that TPP is a potential economic arrangement in the region that
makes up 40 percent of the world gross domestic product and one third of
global trade.
TPP, alongside other key economic
linkage mechanisms like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN), ASEAN and its partners, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation,
the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, are establishment of a
Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP).
The 12
TPP negotiating members include Brunei, Canada, Chile, the US, Malaysia,
Mexico, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.-VNA